Because of uncertain petroleum supplies, the general public is unable to rely upon the convenient and ready availability of gasoline, as required and upon demand. Consequently, a need exists for a fuel that can be transported safely in relatively small amounts, to serve as an emergency supply for those occasions on which gasoline cannot be obtained otherwise.
It is, of course, a rather common practice to carry an extra supply of gasoline in the trunk of one's automobile, in anticipation of such a situation. However, because of the risk of fire and/or explosion, especially under hot weather conditions, that practice is at best unwise; indeed, the danger is sufficiently great that the practice is widely prohibited. As a result, there is a substantial need for a substitute fuel that can be transported and stored in small volumes with relatively little risk.
In addition to the primary safety factors, any such fuel must, of course, also produce good mileage and must exhibit good operating characteristics, performing well on start-up, at idle, and under normal running conditions. It must do so, moreover, without need for any adjustment to or modification of the vehicle, and it must be clean-burning, nonpolluting non-corrosive, non-toxic and inoffensive, both in the liquid and also the vapor states. Finally, from the standpoint of practicality, such a fuel must be relatively easy and inexpensive to produce.
While perhaps less dramatic, there is also a demand for a fuel having the foregoing characteristics in connection with recreational vehicles. For example, on outboard motorboats the fuel supply is normally carried in a small tank, which is often subjected to heat and physical abuse.
There have been numerous efforts made in the past to develop synthetic fuels, both to replace gasoline and also to supplement it. The inevitable shortage of petroleum resources has prompted the investigation of practical fuel substitutes derived from alternative sources, such as agricultural wastes (e.g., alcohol) and coal tar (e.g., toluene and benzene). Such substances, as well as additives and extenders for gasoline are, of course, used for specialized applications, such as high performance vehicles and aircraft. However, modifications or substitutions intended to reduce the hazards of fuels seem to have been given little attention.
With more particular reference to the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 1,338,982 discloses a fuel which consists predominantly of alcohol, and which has combined with it lesser amounts of ether and water. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,954,939 and 2,361,054, benzene and/or toluene are added to gasoline, for the purpose of improving the anti-knock value of the product (toluene is, of course, conventionally used as an aviation fuel and as an octane blending stock). U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,131,880 and 1,516,757 suggest the use of various alcohols in combination with kerosene and benzene, with a derivative of kerosene being used in the latter case so as to eliminate the need for benzene, which serves as a blending agent. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,398,947 and 1,420,007 airplane fuels are taught which consist of ethyl alcohol and benzene in combination with a low temperature additive, such as an ester or an ether. Finally, Japanese Pat. No. 72/22904 discloses a fuel consisting of kerosene, benzene, toluene and xylene.
Despite all of such earlier efforts, the need remains for a non-petroleum based product which exhibits the combination of properties necessary to provide a satisfactory synthetic emergency fuel, and which is practical from an economic standpoint.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel synthetic fuel composition which has a relatively low vapor pressure and a relatively high flash point, so as to render it relatively safe for transport and storage in small quantities.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel fuel composition derived from a non-petroleum source, which composition may advantageously be used as an emergency fuel supply or as a gasoline extender.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a composition, which performs with substantially the same characteristics as are exhibited by conventional gasoline, and which may be utilized in standard internal combustion engines without need to adjust or modify any of the mechanisms or systems thereof.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a synthetic fuel composition having the foregoing features and advantages, which is also clean-burning and non-polluting, and which, under normal conditions, is neither offensive nor difficult to handle.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a fuel composition easily and inexpensively, from common substances which are available in good supply.